


Four Sides of a Triangle

by woozdum



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Grad School au ft boys who don't know what to do w their feelings, M/M, Multi, i only know how to write emotionally constipated boys making bad decisions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 09:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11078994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woozdum/pseuds/woozdum
Summary: They act like children but they're supposed to be adults. They're "just friends" but they're supposed to be more. They fight and hurt and bicker but they're supposed to be getting their degrees.Priorities.(Or, Soonyoung and Wonwoo navigate through messy feelings and, somehow, make it out okay)





	Four Sides of a Triangle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EgoStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EgoStorm/gifts).



> wow i can't beleive its finally done this took so long but it's here and it's doing its best. im sorry this is basically just a 96z discourse fic i really did what I could. ilu gramps i hope u like this

“They’re fucking.” Soonyoung says, turning from the girl sitting across from him, “I can feel it.” he watches Mingyu and Seokmin, two service ambassadors in his department, flick soda at each other and snorts.

 

They’re sitting in the campus food court, having claimed a table early on for their lunch break. 

 

Myungeun glances up from her meal, with pursed lips. “Is this that fuckdar nonsense again?”

 

He opens his mouth to retort when he feels a hand caress the back of his neck and tug on a few hairs. 

 

“Stupid  Jinnie. It’s not nonsense if it’s always right.” 

 

Soonyoung leans back into the touch and looks up, eyes meeting cheekbones.

 

Myungeun’s eye twitches and she throws a chopstick at Wonwoo, whose laugh is not apologetic and entirely too teasing. “Don’t call me that. My name is Myungeun.  _ Park. Myung. Eun _ . Jin was just a dumb nickname I came up with in elementary school.”

 

Wonwoo nods, pulling up a chair to sit between them, claiming his own side of the too small square table. “At least it isn’t Hoshi.”

 

Rude.

 

“Shut the fuck up, lucky bag.” 

 

He deserves the resulting shove. Cackling, he holds onto the table to stabilize himself and uses the momentum to crash right back into Wonwoo.

 

He stays there, leaning into the other’s side far too long for it to be considered platonic for exes. 

 

Exes. 

 

It’s hard to fathom how quickly they went from almost saying  _ I do _ to barely being able to say  _ I owe you _ . There is nothing wrong with them, their relationship was healthy, effortless and secure. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being loving. Somewhere along the way, they fell out of love. 

 

And Soonyoung is okay with that. 

 

Mostly.

 

Myungeun opens her mouth, a whine threatening to spill out if the furrow in her eyebrows is anything to go by. Soonyoung tunes it out, moving himself from Wonwoo’s side and focusing on his drink.

 

Meeting Myungeun was one of the best things to come from his and Wonwoo’s breakup. When they decided that meeting new people was the best way to heal from their then newly changed, but never really broken relationship, neither of them was thrilled but both thought it was necessary to regain some kind of structure to their relationship. As if one dinner-and-a-movie with a stranger compensates for nearly two years of friendship, three years of dating and now, six months and counting of rediscovering what it means to be ‘just friends.’ 

 

Myungeun was the first person Soonyoung set Wonwoo up with, probably because Soonyoung saw so much of himself in her. They seemed really good for each other, going on multiple dates before she called it quits because Wonwoo did not want to grow old and sell fruit with her. 

 

Soonyoung was relieved.

 

Secretly, Wonwoo was as well.

* * *

There’s no telling who fell out of love first, Wonwoo supposes, smiling fondly at Soonyoung’s puffed out cheeks and pursed lips. He regrets falling out of love with probably the greatest person he will ever know. Regrets not holding his hand tighter when he was sad, stroking his index finger twice, tapping the knuckle twice in reassurance. 

 

Wonwoo doesn’t love Soonyoung anymore, but he regrets not being able to keep what they had. Best friends turned lovers, they had a romance he’s only ever heard of in movies. 

 

He remembers the first time he and Soonyoung kissed. It was at a hangout at Seungcheol’s the previous August, in a humid and packed basement while the bass line of an N’SYNC song thumped around them. He had dragged a ‘just tipsy’ Soonyoung towards a wall after the other dropped yet another drink onto the floor. 

 

_ “Stay,” Wonwoo ordered, teasingly smirking at the flushed boy in front of him.  _

 

_ Soonyoung huffed, standing up straight, getting in Wonwoo’s face, “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m gonna get anoth-” Wonwoo stopped listening to Soonyoung’s ranting. Mostly because he was distracted by Soonyoung’s lips.  _

 

_ Wonwoo has always been a thinker, an over planner, a double-checker. But in all of his drunken thoughts, he could not think of a single reason  _ not _ to kiss Soonyoung. There were no wrong outcomes, considering how long they had been dancing around this idea of them. _

 

_ So he stared. He stared while Soonyoung ranted about how he just wants to _ get shitfaced and have a good time and forget how he bombed two midterms  _ and he waited while Soonyoung angrily took his own drink and drained it in one go. He waited till Soonyoung looked back at him, eyebrow quirking upward, challenging him.  _

 

_ And then he moved. _

 

_ His hand was cupping Soonyoung’s cheek while he leaned in slowly. Staring at plush red lips, he murmured, “Is this okay?” _

 

_ Soonyoung’s face was flushed as he leaned in to hear him better, but the hitch in his breath was unmistakeable. He nodded slightly, right hand reaching for the back of his neck, the left clutching the material against his hip.  _

 

_ And they’d kissed, pressed against the dingiest wall, too close, too hot, too much.  _

 

_ It was undeniably perfect. _

 

Wonwoo grins to himself, lips tingling at the memory, as Myungeun and Soonyoung bicker about some new drama or musical or teacher or who knows what. He jumps out of his reverie when Myungeun slams her fist on the table and Soonyoung looks at him weirdly. 

 

“You okay there,  _ lucky bag _ ?” Myungeun waggles her eyebrows in mock concern. 

 

He retaliates by throwing a fry at her, which she lets hit her in the face, fall onto her plate, and triumphantly eats while flipping him off.

 

“While you, so rudely by the way, zoned out, I was telling Soonyoung-ie about how Soojung unnie keeps babying Yein when I’m literally right here. The  _ biggest _ baby. I want to be loved.” She huffs, chomping on more fries stolen from Wonwoo. “I’m perfectly lovable. And I have nice teeth. And a cute nose. What more do I need?”

 

Soonyoung kicks him under the table and gestures helplessly towards Myungeun with an expression that clearly screams  _ fix this. _

 

Wonwoo sighs, hooking his foot around the leg of Myungeun’s chair, dragging it over to him, arms out and ready to envelop her body. 

 

“Come here, I’ll take care of you.” He presses his cheek to the top of her head and catches Soonyoung’s fond smile.

 

Those lips. He misses their fullness against his, chapped but tantalizing all the same. 

 

He loves Soonyoung, but he isn’t  _ in love with _ Soonyoung.

* * *

Wonwoo’s still stroking Myungeun’s hair, though all three of them know she’s just milking the attention because they always indulge her. If this was then, Soonyoung would probably have felt angry, petty, and possessive. But they’re just friends now. They’re happy as just friends now.

 

It would be a shame, if they fell out as friends as well. But this is nice too. They tried and it didn’t work out. And Soonyoung’s okay with that. 

 

He sees a body move out of the corner of his eye and sees Jihoon pull up a chair, plopping down at their table. He drops his tray of food onto the table and grabs a fry from Soonyoung, jabbing it at the cuddling pair \

 

“Soojung noona?” 

 

With a whine, Myungeun pulls herself away from Wonwoo’s side and sticks her tongue out. “Empathize with me, I’m  _ suffering _ .” She scrunches her nose when Jihoon snorts and pats her head, “I need more girl friends. Why am I stuck with you people?” 

 

“You love us.” 

 

“Debatable.”

 

Soonyoung grins into his soda as Jihoon and Myungeun continue to bicker. His eyes shift to Eunbi and Yuna, two junior counselors at the youth training and leadership summit he supervised last semester. They walk in and sit down at the table next to theirs. He thinks smugly about the  fact that they’re probably fucking too, but decides not to mention it since they work as RAs under Myungeun and Jihoon  in reslife and that’s not a topic either one wants to broach. Instead, Soonyoung waves at them when a hand ruffles his hair. 

 

Junhui grins and bumps his hip against Soonyoung’s shoulder, leaning down to kiss his cheek. 

 

It’s unfortunate that Soonyoung’s heart doesn’t hop, skip, or jump because Junhui could be the perfect guy (could be  _ his  _ perfect guy).

 

He hears the scrape of the chair, and feels Junhui plop down next to him. He grabs the latter’s hand, interlacing their fingers, and brings it atop the table. 

 

They just are not meant to be, he supposes. 

 

It must be odd. Falling out of love with one friend only to date another out of emotional convenience. Maybe the problem is Soonyoung. 

 

He feels eyes on them and looks up to see Wonwoo quirking an eyebrow at him disapprovingly,  and Jihoon stabbing at his burger with a knife, frowning. 

 

It’s tense. Or at least he thinks it is. Jihoon hasn’t really talked to Junhui or him since they got together, which Soonyoung would feel bad about if he wasn’t feeling incredibly petty over the fucking friendship politics. 

 

“I will never get over how weird your relationship is, by the way,” Myungeun’s voice cuts through the silence.

 

Jun snorts, amused, and recites the next line of this daily conversation from memory, “They broke up.” He gestures to Wonwoo and Soonyoung with his free hand, and then to the space between the latter and he, “and now we’re together. It’s not difficult to understand.”

 

“Yes, okay. But  _ why _ each other? Why do you -I’m talking to you, Kwon Soonyoung- keep dating within the friend group. Nothing  _ good _ comes out of dating within the friend group. Meet new fucking people.” Soonyoung shares a grin with his boyfriend, who rolls his eyes at Myungeun’s lack of tact. “You know, Junnie, Jisoo unnie is single. I could set some-”

 

“As much as I appreciate you wanting to do me this solid, I’m really fucking gay,” Junhui interjects, playfully side-eyeing Soonyoung, “Also I’m dating this guy, so I’m not really looking either.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Soonyoung sees Jihoon clench and unclench his fists. Junhui’s words have always been precise and poignant, knowing exactly where and  _ how _ to go in for the kill. 

 

Soonyoung respects his talent, even if he  _ is _ slightly scared of it.

* * *

Wonwoo can see Jihoon’s frame stiffen, and he feels bitterness and annoyance wash over his body. Soonyoung’s nasty streak coupled with Junhui’s sheer will to hurt has really been taking a toll Jihoon, who glares at the table, unwilling to look up.

 

“It’s still weird.” Myungeun mumbles under her breath, “So fucking out of nowhere.”

 

She means well. He knows that she isn’t aware of all the drama that has been going on at the house, how it’s bled into everyday interactions, so much so that Jihoon actively avoids areas, events, and friends of common interest. 

 

It’s fucking childish, what they’re doing to him. 

 

It’s a shame that it has become a situation of  _ us  _ versus _ them _ .

 

Wonwoo clears his throat, drumming his fingers against the table to get everyone’s attention. “Jihoonie, we have class soon. Drive me?”

 

Jihoon shoots up, grabbing his bag and getting his food to go. He nods at them goodbye, while Wonwoo follows behind. 

 

As he leaves, he hears Myungeun mutter, “You four need to get your shit together.”

 

He can’t help but agree. 

* * *

They sit silently for a few minutes. The tension hasn’t really dispersed, but no one wants to mention it. No one wants to mention how the five of them meet less frequently and how it always ends with someone leaving early or cancelling last minute. Come to think of it, this is probably the first time in weeks since they’ve all met up. 

 

Myungeun huffs, gathering her stuff as well, “I know that they were really shitty to you. Really, I get it. But I can’t work with Jihoon and play stupid.” She gets up to leave. “Figure this out, I’m not letting your inability to talk about your feelings like adults ruin a perfectly good friendship.” 

 

Soonyoung and Junhui let go of their hands when she’s out of their line of vision.

 

“I know she’s right,” Soonyoung hears Junhui’s defeated sigh, “But I’m not… ready to be a better person.” Junhui leans into his side and they sit there, quietly, backs facing the public. 

 

“Whatever you need,” Soonyoung squeezes the elder’s knee, “You know I have your back.”

 

Junhui’s hand finds Soonyoung’s and he pulls it off gently. “You don’t need to pick sides for me. They’re still your friends, you know. And it isn’t fair to drag you into my crap. I just need to get over it. Forget it. Whatever.”

 

“Jihoon isn’t the only one who’s allowed to hurt. And Wonwoo either! They fucking-”

 

Junhui flinches, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter. Myungeun’s right, anyway. We should just forget about it and stop giving them grief. We fucking live together, there isn’t much else to do.”

 

It’s progress, he supposes. They haven’t really talked about what happened at the party that night, but Soonyoung knows the gist of it. He knows how Junhui pining over Jihoon for months had resulted in a really awkward but endearing confession. He knows how Jihoon laughed it off just as awkwardly and endearingly, refusing to give the elder a straight answer. He knows how, not even two nights later, Junhui caught Wonwoo and Jihoon making out in the kitchen of Seungcheol’s kitchen, drunk out of their fucking minds. 

 

Soonyoung had pulled a heartbroken Junhui away from the kitchen into a bedroom, locking it behind them, and watched a distraught Junhui try to make sense of the situation. They stayed in the guest bedroom that night, Junhui’s blank, detached expression sparking a protective sort of anger in Soonyoung. 

 

_ “You need to get over him. Cold turkey.” Soonyoung advised, words cutting even though they were slightly slurred, “Fucking bastards. Both of them.” _

 

_ Junhui shrugged, “How?” He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head atop them. _

 

_ “Date someone else. Prove to yourself you don’t need him.” Soonyoung breathed harshly, aggravated. He moved so he was mimicking Junhui’s position from where he sat, back against the door. The music pounded through the doors, floor vibrating with the bassline of the shitty spotify track that was playing. “You don’t need someone who will throw your feelings in your face.” _

 

_ Junhui lifted his head to peer at Soonyoung. “Does this apply to me or to you. Because you know Wonwoo was half of that situation.” And then he asked what struck Soonyoung the most. What Soonyoung still can’t answer. “How do you feel about it?” _

 

_ Soonyoung had crawled next to Junhui, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, I’m more pissed at them for what they did to you. Wonwoo and I broke up because what we felt wasn’t romantic anymore. There was no magic or excitement. It wasn’t fun anymore.” _

 

_ “Do you miss him?”  _

 

_ “Sometimes? But I don’t regret falling out of love with him. It just wasn’t our time.” _

 

_ “Times can change.” _

 

_ “So can feelings.” _

 

_ “But they can change back.” _

 

_ “But I don’t feel that way for him anymore. And he’s too important to lose as a friend.” _

 

_ “That’s true. That’s...if I was a better person, I’d say the same about Jihoon. But I really can’t stand him right now.”  _

 

_ They sat in silence, listening to the door handle shake frantically once, twice, thrice, before Soonyoung spoke again. _

 

_ “We could date.” _

 

_ Junhui let out an involuntary chuckle. “No thanks, Soonyoung. I don’t like you like th- Ow!” He picks up the shoe Soonyoung threw at him, chucking it back only for it to crash against the door and fall next to the other. _

 

_ “Firstly, don’t be rude. I’m a catch. Secondly, I don’t like you either. Thirdly, look, we don’t need to actually date. Just let everyone think we are. It’ll get me out of all of these blind dates Wonwoo’s been trying to set me up on  _ and  _ it can be your comeuppance.” He gives Junhui a big smile, “What could possibly go wrong?” _

 

_ Junhui stared at him, judging,and Soonyoung knew he was weighing the outcomes. Junhui and Wonwoo are similar in that regard. _

 

_ “Promise me this won’t be one of those cliché fake dating things where the couple falls in love at the end because I love you but not like that.” He leans forward on the bed, pinky extended. _

 

_ Soonyoung rolls his eyes, crawling over to connect pinkies with Junhui. “So we’re boyfriends now?”  _

 

_ “Yeah, I guess.” _

 

_ “Cool… do you wanna make out?” _

 

_ “Shut up. I’m still sad.” Junhui’s lips quirked in a sad, small smile, “Do you want to head home? I really don’t want to be here right now.” _

 

“You still deserve an apology.”

 

Junhui gets up and holds out a hand to pull Soonyoung up as well. “C’mon boyfriend. We have work.”

* * *

Jihoon and Wonwoo sit silently in the car, undoubtedly both thinking about whatever just happened. The former’s fingers drum against the steering wheel, in time to the staticky song playing on the radio. 

 

They don’t like talking about it. They tried once and it turned into an ugly vent session that left them hating Soonyoung and Junhui. They’re too similar, too quick to get swept away in their feelings, to justify each other’s behavior when they’re wronged, too quick to point fingers and dismiss their accountability in situations. Instead, they have a silent understanding that avoidance is what they both need to cope. Soonyoung and Junhui have always been the ones who deal with problems through confrontation, though, clearly, that isn’t the case these days.

 

Wonwoo doesn’t really understand how those two even began dating, but knows it isn’t really a good fit. They both could do better than each other. Besides, they’re too similar, too emotive and bubbly and quiet in their own right, too act first-think later, too compatible without the excitement of conflict. There isn’t any tension, there isn’t any fun. 

 

But he won’t say anything to either of them.

 

It’s so interesting, to see how they’ve gone from four unbelievably close friends to four flatmates who can’t stand being in the same room together. Their dining table and extra long sofa seem more like decoration these days. 

 

Wonwoo hates it.

 

He glances over at Jihoon again, to see him tensely shaking his head. It’s been the hardest on him, the relationship that is. And it’s infuriating how little Soonyoung or Junhui seem to care what they’re doing to him. 

 

“I’m supposed to submit a couple demos to a company later this month. It’s like a side project that I’m doing to make more cash. Do you want to help me out with it?” Jihoon speaks cautiously, staring intently at the road ahead of him. “Normally, I’d ask Soonyoung but we’re not really-”

 

“Ah, yeah. No worries. I’ll do it.” Wonwoo grins, poking Jihoon in the arm. “Buy me food for a week though.”

 

“No thanks. I’ll just ask Cheol hyung or Hyejin noona. Or, actually one of my RAs is pretty into rapping, his name is Hansol. He’s a pretty weird kid. Kinda ditzy? Lost? Out of it? I don’t know, but he’s a good kid. He’s on the committee to unionize the RA/AA staff, but I don’t really think he knows what’s going on.” Jihoon turns into the campus parking deck, “ _ And _ he’d do it for free, Wonwoo. Because he’s a good person who knows I’m just doing my best and cares about me and not my wallet.”

 

Wonwoo’s nose whistles when he laughs, his nose scrunching. “Alright, point taken.” He pushes the other slightly. “If you really need the help, I could spit some bars for you.”

 

“As long as you promise never to say that again.” 

 

“So rude. I’m fucking talented. They call me fucking Jeon Talent.”

 

Jihoon rolls his eyes, finally parking the car. “Yeah, alright  _ Jeon Talent _ , get the fuck out. We’re going to be late.”

 

The walk to the building isn’t long, and they slip into the back of the lecture hall with seconds to spare. 

 

Jihoon looks expectantly at Wonwoo, who sighs and slumps so Jihoon can lean against him. “Wake me up if something important happens.”

 

They’re in a fairly easy Inclusion and Diversity seminar, that they skived off their first semester, though it often reads more as a plug for how ‘progressive’ the university is and how to maintain appearances. Jihoon always falls asleep, having to juggle his music thing with his assistantship and school full time. Wonwoo indulges him, especially considering how emotionally charged these past few weeks have been. 

 

Junhui and Soonyoung’s relationship isn’t necessarily something that was unforeseen. They’ve always had a tendency to be really touchy and cuddly and Wonwoo’s never thought of it as more than platonic. Clearly, that was a mistake. Nevertheless, he doesn’t understand why they throw it in Jihoon’s face at every opportunity. 

 

Though to be fair, they really didn’t do much more than hold hands and it’s not like Wonwoo has any right to criticize them in any capacity. He and Soonyoung used to be a lot more handsy. Bickering turned into teasing, teasing turned into intensity, and intensity turned into more, more,  _ more. _ But it’s still not right for them to make Jihoon feel this way. 

 

He sees a notification pop up on his phone. Soonyoung’s texting him, completely unaware of his inner turmoil, and it’s so conflicting. 

 

> [Soonyoung] i got u a date w shua hyung 
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] isnt he w ?? cheol hyung ? jiyeon noona ? jeonhan hyung?  someone???
> 
> [Wonwoo] is this ??? are u trying to sell my Body
> 
> [Wonwoo] no thnx im no heathen
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] LOL no shua hyung said he’d be down if u wanted to tho he misses you~~
> 
> [Soonyoung] didn’t u make out w him at a party too ??
> 
> [Soonyoung] Jeon WonWOW look at u go
> 
> [Soonyoung] milkshake.mp3
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] literally stfu also yea im down tell him to pick a time n place
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] kayyyy

 

Wonwoo sighs and turns back to the lecturer who continues to praise the university’s incredibly passive stance on campus regulations and dissent. He’d love to fall asleep, it’d be so easy to rest his head on Jihoon’s but one of them needs to catch the small details of information that will bring their course presentation to the B they’ll need to keep  scholarships and maintain GPAs.

 

He groans quietly, voice muffled by the rustling of bodies and slumps against the back of the chair, forcing his eyes to stay open. 

 

The last time they were in this position was the night of Seungcheol’s party. Jihoon has a bad habit of being handsy when he’s drunk and Wonwoo was newly single and a little (read: a lot) needy for physical contact. Jihoon had hopped onto the counter, with Wonwoo in between his legs, and casually admitted that Junhui liked him romantically and he didn’t know what to feel and then promptly asked if he wanted to hook up, which Wonwoo politely (and incredibly quickly) declined. They did end up making out but it was really messy and unfeeling, nothing like the kisses Wonwoo was used to. There was no heat or playfulness, no desire to ravage and take. It was just a nice, convenient kiss.

 

Jihoon had broken away first, despite being the one to propose any of this in the first place, and wrinkled his nose. “We should never do that again.” 

 

Wonwoo had only shrugged, because fair. He wasn’t too keen on a repeat performance either. Instead, he had hopped onto the counter next to Jihoon, and let the younger slump onto him for the rest of the night, before it was time to go home. 

 

Interestingly enough, neither Junhui nor Soonyoung were home when they came back.

 

Wonwoo’s stomach growls and he jumps a little to which Jihoon grumbles and swipes at him to stay still. He thinks back to his half eaten burger, that he left on the table in his haste to get away from Soonyoung and Junhui. For Jihoon’s sake, of course.

 

He’s got a pretty clear schedule today, not having to go in for work and having a fairly light course load this week. He could probably grab some more food after this class on his way back to the apartment, especially considering they otherwise live exclusively on a ramen diet. Scrolling through facebook, he looks for any free food events on campus when their class gets dismissed.

 

“Jihoon,” he shifts, “Class is over, take me home.”

 

“Hm? Yeah, okay.” Jihoon loops his arm into Wonwoo’s messenger bag, letting the elder maneuver them through the hoards of people coming out of class. They finally reach Jihoon’s car and, like clockwork, he jolts out of his stupor and speeds towards their apartment. “Do you think they’ll be in the apartment now?” he asks softly, staring at Wonwoo with some expression that can only be seen as dread. 

 

He gets it. They all live together, which seemed like a good, drama-free idea at the time, seeing as they’re all graduate students in the Student Affairs program at their university. It especially seemed like a good fit considering they all worked in different departments, with Jihoon in reslife, Soonyoung in leadership and service, Junhui with the cultural center, and Wonwoo with the Dean of Students department. But now, with their shared circle of friends and inability to avoid each other, it seems like their arrangement is more of a hassle.

 

Wonwoo sighs, “Jun might be. But Soonyoung has an event tonight that he needs to prep for. It’d be useless of me to ask if you wanted to come, right?”

 

He gets a snort as the car jerks to the right, “I would _ love _ to come. I just don’t think Soonyoung would want me there. Or Junhui, since they’re such a package deal these days.”

 

“They’re dating, of course they’d go out for each other’s events and be around each other and stuff. Besides, it’s some social so we probably won’t have to talk to them  _ and _ there’s free food. Please come with me.” Wonwoo pokes him repeatedly, pausing only to clutch onto the door of the car when Jihoon makes another sharp turn into their apartment complex. 

 

It’s silent while Jihoon parks, but not an uncomfortable silence, more quiet and nonthreatening. “Yeah, I really didn’t want ramen for dinner anyway.”

 

“You’re a gift, Lee Jihoon. A fucking gift.”

* * *

Soonyoung wipes sweat off his brow as he shifts a table to his director’s approval. Being the only staff member on hand is slightly stressful, considering he doesn’t really know how the department operates yet. To be quite honest, he’d applied as an intern for a lot of the departments, but Leadership and Service seemed right up his alley. 

 

He shoots a text off to the student organization eboard members who had volunteered to help set up, passive-aggressively reminding them to get their asses over to the hall to help decorate. The event seems pretty lame, but it’s an earnest way to get students involved with all the leadership organizations and opportunities available to undergrads. 

 

Soonyoung takes a quick glance to his left and sees Junhui lounging on a chair, likely scrolling through twitter, and rolls his eyes. 

 

“Wen Junhui,” he bites out. “Get your ass over here and help me the fuck out.”

 

The latter looks up, lets out a short laugh, and shakes his head. “No thanks,  _ boyfriend _ .”

 

“Help me or I’ll fucking dump your ass,” Soonyoung grumbles, pulling Junhui off the chair. “None of the work study kids signed up for this shift  _ and _ all the eboard volunteers are AWOL. I’m only one guy. I can’t do this.”

 

After a few minutes of prodding, in which Soonyoung could have very likely been setting up, Junhui finally gives in and decides to help. “Okay okay, what do you need me to do?”

 

They’re able to rearrange most of the furniture with an hour left before the event when the closed door is flung open and they hear an unmistakeable “Hyung~” 

 

“About time you got here,” Junhui mutters, with a raised eyebrow. 

 

Seokmin and Mingyu look equally sheepish, while a bunch of disgruntled eboard members trail in behind them.

 

“We completely forgot. But then Hao texted us and at least we’re here now!” Seokmin grins and Soonyoung doesn’t have it in him to be mad.

 

“Jun has the clipboard, sign yourself into whatever shifts you have. Once you’re done with that, there are balloons and streamers and tape. Make this place look fucking adorable.” If his department head was here, he’d probably get in trouble for being unprofessional and completely lax in his language. But he advises most of these different clubs, as all grad interns do, and is pretty friendly with all of them. 

 

With the added manpower, they’re able to set up the hall in record time, and then it becomes a waiting game. When the doors finally open, a flood of students come in, likely friends and GI members from the different clubs that volunteered. He sees a lot of his classmates and coworkers show up to support, though he suspects that’s more for the food than anything else. 

 

It’s going pretty well, though it seems like they didn’t order enough food, which really means he’ll likely get praised later for being able to get so many people to come out. 

 

“Wow Soon, this is actually a pretty successful event.” He whirls around only for Nayoung, a second year grad student with health services, to grab his clipboard and look over the itinerary. 

 

“I’m actually insulted that you thought it would be anything but.” He grins. “But honestly, same. I didn’t think people came out to events anymore.”

 

Nayoung lets out a laugh. “That’s for sure. Oh, Seungcheol wants to throw another-” she looks around and lowers her voice, “-party. Just the usuals though, you in?” The API population is relatively scarce, which makes it easy to build community, or as Nayoung calls them, ‘the Usuals.’ It’s really lame but they go with it because it makes her happy. 

 

“I dunno man, we’ll see.” The last party didn’t go so well, he doesn’t say. His eyes flicker towards the entrance when his boss comes in and he’s grateful for the diversion. 

 

Weaving through the crowd is pretty difficult since college kids seem to love sitting anywhere and everywhere in order to eat, but he’s able to shake hands briefly and make small talk with a few of the department directors, all of whom are _ so surprised that so many people are here, congrats! _

 

“Wow, look at you Mr. Fancy Pants.” 

 

Soonyoung grins, because of course he’d show up. “Mr. Fancy Pants? Are you eight?” He turns to face Wonwoo but just as high as his mood had been, it drops seeing his plus one. He stares hard at Jihoon, who stares more at the ground than anything else and he feels incredibly petty. And it makes him feel terrible because Jihoon is his roommate and friend and he hates him and hates that he hates him and it’s all so very confusing. “Thanks for coming, Won. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

 

He’s about to turn around when Jihoon’s head snaps up and he glares at him, jaw clenching. “Grow up, Soonyoung.”

 

He stares back, annoyed. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that.”

 

He heads over to find Junhui, to warn him, when it really strikes him.  _ Grow up, Soonyoung. _ He’d forgiven Wonwoo instantaneously, hadn’t really pinned any of the blame on him at all. He really is being so childish. 

 

It’s funny how, once he admits it to himself, all the anger and bitterness he held for Jihoon just kind of disappears because he never really meant to be the bad guy. Here, in the middle of a fucking social, wearing formal clothes and those cheap mardi gras party necklaces (courtesy of Myungho who put the remaining bunch on him after distributing them to the other volunteers), walking towards his boyfriend-but-not-really to tell him that his crush is here so they can be petty together. He’s really so very childish. 

 

And he doesn’t really know what to do with this revelation. 

 

Junhui looks at him with concern, head cocked to the side endearingly, but Soonyoung justshakes his head.  _ It’s okay _ , he mouths and looks back to Jihoon, who’s batting away Jiyeon and Jeonghan, the two greek life interns, as they try to fix his notoriously difficult hair. 

 

> [Wonwoo] that was really shitty soon
> 
> [Wonwoo] he misses you, yk

 

He lets out a sigh.

 

_ Time to grow up, Soonyoung. _

 

> [Soonyoung] thanks for coming out tn
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] a month of silence and this is what you want to open with?
> 
> [Jihoon] if you don’t talk to me when i piss you off then we can never fix it
> 
> [Jihoon] we’re friends but you and jun just iced me out it’s 
> 
> [Jihoon] whatever idk i just want to talk
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] yea me too

* * *

Wonwoo feels the shift in their dynamics almost instantly. Soonyoung and Jihoon haven’t really had time to talk. Second semester is  brutal, laden with assistantship requirements and actual school work. Before anyone can really tell, another couple of weeks roll around with Wonwoo and Soonyoung hanging out and Wonwoo and Jihoon hanging out and Soonyoung and Junhui still going on not-really-dates, and Myungeun being consistently fed up with all of them. But they text a lot more in the group, and by that he means, everyone but Junhui, and it’s almost like old times. Except no one has really addressed the issue and so nothing is really better. 

 

Jihoon texts him one day, with a screenshot of something Soonyoung tagged him in, and a flurry of question marks.

 

> [Jihoon] are we ??? g o o d now????
> 
> [Jihoon] no more? Lee Jihoon who’s taht ?
> 
> [Jihoon] THe dawn of  a New Era
> 
> [Jihoon] ????????????
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] lmao congrats u finally beat some sense into him
> 
> [Wonwoo] now if j*n would answer a fucking text or smth every now and again, we’d be out of this weird ass feelings limbo
> 
> [Wonwoo] also stop texting lik ethat its we i r d
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] fuck man idk whats going on w him ask ur boyfriend
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] u mean soonyougn? Boy who is dating junhui now 
> 
> [Wonwoo] and not me
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] stfu also 
> 
> [Jihoon] you sound a little sad, you sure you’re not regretting it
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] im cool w it ji dwdw
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] sure

 

He shuffles into the kitchen one morning, where the Junhui is making breakfast. He makes to steal some bacon off the pan, before retreating because they’re not really talking. He’s not sure why, Soonyoung won’t tell him and he knows Jihoon is part of the problem, but seeing Junhui has recently left a bitter taste in his mouth. An almost resentful something that he cannot and will not try to identify. He backs out of the kitchen as quietly as he came in, with Junhui none the wiser. 

 

Inevitably, they all meet up at the campus food court, courtesy of Myungeun’s frantic texting, and seeing Junhui slip into the chair next to Soonyoung makes him feel odd, but she’s staring the four of them down and he’s a little intimidated.

 

“I found a girl. She’s Sojung unnie’s friend and you’re going to play nice and not scare her away because I need more girl friends. Understood?” She mutters through clenched teeth. Satisfied with their sheepish nodding, she smiles brightly and waves towards the door, “Yerin!” 

 

A girl, who Wonwoo presumes is Yerin, waves back and walks towards their table. Dropping her tray next to Myungeun’s, she says, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Yerin, I work with New Student Orientation. Oh, hey, Junnie.”

 

Junhui nods at her, “I didn’t know you were the one being pursued by Myungeun.”

 

“Shut up, I’m making friends.” Myungeun bites back, “How did you two meet? Oh! Also this is Jihoon, Wonwoo, and Soonyoung.” She introduces, remembering her manners. 

 

They all give polite nods, a little out of place in this reunion-esqe gathering. 

 

“I worked the summer tabling shifts for NSO and I met her through that.” Junhui reaches over towards their communal fries, a tradition amongst the five of them to rotate who buys it for the table. 

 

“Yeah, but we haven’t really spoken since, what? October? November? Something like that.”

 

Jihoon’s eyes furrow, “Won and I worked the summer too, why didn’t I meet you?” 

 

“It was pretty hectic, to be honest. I only met Jun because he needed a jump one day and then we’d hang out every now and again.” She shrugs and points to the fries, “May I?” 

 

The fries are stupidly sacred, in that Soonyoung and Myungeun always make a fuss when people outside the rotation steal some, because it’s not as though they’re paying for it. Myungeun shrugs and everyone glances at Soonyoung, who rolls his eyes good humoredly and nods. 

 

And with that, Yerin doesn’t really join their group of five, but she’s welcome anytime. There’s almost a semblance of normalcy now, as though everyone is trying desperately to save face so that their private affairs can stay private.

 

It’s a slower week and he, thankfully, doesn’t need to advise any student orgs like Soonyoung or Junhui, but that doesn’t stop their kids from dropping by and visiting him during his work hours. While going through records, his office door opens and Mingyu’s head pops in through the door frame, fuming. 

 

“Hyung, are you busy?”

 

Wonwoo snorts at him, and nods as if to welcome him in. “How can I help you, Mingyu.”

 

“How can I get a TA fired? Is there any possible-”

 

“-I’m not going to help you,” Wonwoo cuts him off. “Is this about that poli sci class again?”

 

“It’s complete bullshit! How is she going to read over my thesis and approve it and let me write an entire paper surrounding it and then tell me it’s not adequate enough? That’s negligence and incompetence and injustice.” He slumps into a chair, sitting across from Wonwoo and sighs. “I really can’t afford to fail. Even Seok was like it’s pretty solid and Hao proofread it for me. Fuck her. Whatever, I’ll just fail. Take on another semester. Maybe I should drop out now. There’s only a couple months left till graduation, maybe college isn’t right for me.”

 

Wonwoo stares at Mingyu’s theatrics, unamused. “If you feel so wronged, argue your grade. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to mark down a grade because you tried to challenge the grading. And if shit goes down, I do work for the Dean of Students. I could pull some strings.”

 

Mingyu opens his mouth, looking slightly relieved, when the door opens again.

 

“Oppa!” Another underclassman, Minkyung, pops in. “Are you busy?”

 

Wonwoo really doesn’t get paid enough for this.

* * *

Seungcheol is throwing yet another party, though they’re all required to call it a hangout so he doesn’t gets in trouble for having undergrads attend as well. It’s not exactly the most professional way for them to behave, but they always (drunkenly) justify it by lamenting about how this is truly the last time they can live it up before the real world drags them down. Jiyeon, who almost always maintains the image of an absolute princess, told him this the first time they met, crying on his shoulder, crossfaded out of her mind. Soonyoung threw the shirt away after realizing the tear stains were actual snot stains. 

 

The situation with Jihoon is better, but they’ve been too busy to actually talk. He stirs his spoon in his cereal bowl, moving the milk around. He’s a lot more at peace now and it’s liberating. 

 

A cough startles him out of his stupor when Junhui looks down at him and cocks a head towards his room. 

 

“Is Wonwoo here?” he asks softly, and it reminds Soonyoung of the fact that Junhui hasn’t really talked to Wonwoo at all either. Junhui’s face is crossed between distress and urgency and Soonyoung shakes his head, curiously cocking his head. Junhui exhales shakily, “I, um, talked to Jihoon. About you know… my feelings and stuff. Like for him.” Soonyoung can tell where this is going, so he pushes his bowl towards Junhui as consolation. 

 

“Yikes.”

 

“Mhm. 

 

They sit in silence and Soonyoung reaches back for his bowl, shoveling down more cereal. “How was that?”

 

Junhui shoots him a look, his patented  _ are you serious _ look, and turns his attention to his phone. “He was pissed that that’s what I wanted to talk about after-” he rolls his eyes and gestures between the two of them, “-you know. And then we fought because I want closure and he wants to avoid all of this. And now he’s probably going to make out with someone else tonight and I’m going to feel just as shitty, but it’s fine. I’m fine. It’ll all be fine.”

 

Soonyoung can’t help but raise an eyebrow, almost mockingly. “If you’re sure.”

 

It’s silent again, neither of them knowing what to say but knowing that something needs to be said. 

 

“Does this mean I need to play the protective boyfriend,” Soonyoung wiggles his eyebrows, grinning cheekily, and grabbing Junhui’s hand, shaking it a little. “I can be, like, really mean and huffy.” His face scrunches as he nods, because he knows how to cheer Junhui up, even if it’s just a little bit. 

 

“You’re too cute for that and you know it.”

 

Soonyoung scoffs, affronted, “That is the biggest lie you have ever told, I am intimidating as fuck. You just don’t know because I’ve never needed to scare you. So there.” He sticks his tongue out, sitting back in his chair. 

 

_ Grow up, Soonyoung.  _ He sits up, trying to hide the grimace on his face but he knows Junhui sees it. He doesn’t want to talk about it though, because to admit he was being juvenile is to admit that he made Junhui an unwilling participant in his need to hurt and avenge. Just because he knows it himself, doesn’t mean he’s ready to talk about it with someone else, much less Junhui. 

 

He gets up, ready to avoid this conversation by any means necessary, and dumps his dishes in the sink. As he reaches his room, he hears Junhui sigh and get up as well.

 

“We should stop dating, by the way.” Junhui mentions offhandedly, not really looking at Soonyoung.

 

Yeah, they should. He’s probably known that for a while now. Instead, he shrugs and gives Junhui a wink, “After I promised to be your knight in shining armor? You’re such a tease, Wen Junhui.” He closes his door and smiles when Junhui lets out a laugh. 

 

The ‘hangout’ is just as eventful as the last one, with the undergrads fucking around while the grad students talk about their future. Soonyoung walks in with Junhui, and it’s appropriate that their fake relationship comes to an end where it all began. Seokmin and Mingyu are trying to get Myungho to demolish his liver, while Jeonghan and Nayoung watch, the former amused and the latter concerned. Wonwoo and Myungeun had headed off towards the bar, while she talks about some new grad students she met from the neighboring university. 

 

“This is the start of a revolution,” she says very seriously, downing two shots while Wonwoo looks on, trying to hold back a smile.  

 

Soonyoung nudges Junhui after scanning the room, “He’s over there with Sojung noona and Hyejin noona.” He tilts his head subtly towards the back corner of the room where Jihoon is nursing a drink.

 

“Well isn’t he such a ladies man.” Junhui smirks, staring unabashedly at Jihoon and Soonyoung feels a little bad for him. He grabs the drink that’s offered to him, probably by Jisoo or Jiyeon or someone. He has a feeling he’ll be drinking a lot tonight, to cope, obviously. 

 

He’s maybe four drinks in when he loses sight of Junhui completely. Up until now, he’d been repeatedly checking up on the elder and then watching Jihoon to make sure that none of the drama is exposed to their friends. He sips his beer and surveys the room, but Junhui seems to have vanished, which is weird because he was so determined to stay the entire night just to prove to himself that he was fine. 

 

He stays put though, not trusting himself to walk around. He feels a hand slip into his back pocket and squeeze and if it weren’t for the foreign smell of citrus and weed, he would definitely have thought he was reliving his greatest moments, certain that the body next to his is Wonwoo’s. He doesn’t have feelings for Wonwoo anymore, but the memories they shared rank amongst some of his favorites ever. 

 

“Your boyfriend left a while ago, you know?” Jeonghan’s voice has a musical lilt to it, and it’s one that could easily lull Soonyoung to sleep. So he does the only logical thing there is left to do and slaps his hand over Jeonghan’s mouth.

 

“Sh. Your pretty voice is making me tired.” He stumbles through his words, eyes sharp, tongue numb. 

 

“And your drunk ass is making my night, but you should probably head home soon-”

 

“-That’s my name!” He grins, unwilling to let Jeonghan say anything else. “Also, Junhue and I are not dating anymore. We broke up before the party because he’s still in love w-” He slaps his hands over his mouth, eyes wide, and shakes his head.

 

“Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret, Soonyoung.  _ Junhue _ talked to me about that long before he told you.”

 

Soonyoung frowns a little, “He wouldn’t do that, he was my boyfriend. He tells me everything.”

 

Jeonghan just pats him on the head, “Go take a nap upstairs. I’ll get Wonwoo or Jihoon to grab you when they’re leaving.”

 

Soonyoung stumbles into an empty room, and eyes the bed with longingness. He checks the time on his phone, and sees the bright 12:04AM mocking him. Clambering into the bed, he snuggles into the comforters, ready to sober up through sheer willpower so he can go enjoy more of the party. 

 

When Soonyoung wakes up next, he’s on a solid back, face pressed into a neck, body bouncing with each step. He jolts, disoriented, because _ what the fuck, why is he floating.  _

 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty.” Jihoon snorts, stopping in his path so Soonyoung can hop off of him. He wobbles and feels a hand steady him by the waist. 

 

Wonwoo narrows his eyes at Soonyoung, unamused. “Why the fuck do you sleep like the dead? Jihoon slapped you like four times.”

 

“It was very gratifying.” Jihoon nudges him, playfully.

 

“Where’s Junhui,” is the first thought that flashes through his mind, and the words are out of his mouth before he can even comprehend who he said them too. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jihoon still and Wonwoo look a little confused. 

 

They’re nearing their apartment, where the elevator is still broken and they have to lug themselves up five flights of stairs. 

 

“I keep telling you to just tell him to get over it, if it makes you that uncomfortable,” Wonwoo huffs, though it’s less in annoyance and more from having to engage in such strenuous physical activity.

 

Jihoon takes a deep breath and holds, as if to steady his heartbeat, and lets out a long sigh, jamming his key into the door. “He’s still a friend. A shitty one who’s been ignoring me for, like, three months, but still a friend. And I don’t want things to be weird and stuff.”

 

They pile into the house, light from the hallway spilling into the dark entrance before Wonwoo flicks on the switch.

 

“He just wants closure. It’s not that he hates you for not liking him. It’s that you refuse to give him a straight answer.” Soonyoung mutters, sounding both tired and annoyed.  

 

Jihoon opens his mouth to speak but Wonwoo cuts in, looking unreasonably insulted. “So, because Junhui has had months to figure out his feelings and then spring them up on Ji, Ji’s supposed to be have a response to give him right then and there? That’s bullshit and you know it.” Wonwoo moves so Jihoon is behind him, and Jihoon shrugs because it’s not like anything Wonwoo’s saying is far off from what he’s thinking. 

 

Soonyoung is tired, he doesn’t want to fight with the two most stubborn people he’s ever met, but he knows that if he gives in now, it’ll reinforce whatever bullshit Wonwoo and Jihoon believe to be true. He fills a glass up with water and takes a sip, which helps to offset the oncoming headache he’s bound to receive. 

 

“So, while knowing that Junnie had feelings for you, you made out with Wonwoo like barely a day later?”

 

“So he’s not allowed to live his fucking life because of what Junhui might feel. He’s twenty-three years old, tell him to grow up a little. It won’t kill him.”

 

“Ji, you threw his feelings in his face, whether you intended to or not. And the worst fucking part of it is that the two of you will stand here and justify everything without considering Junhui, your  _ friend _ , who’s been hurting because you couldn’t say it to his face that you don’t like him. That’s my problem with all of this.” Soonyoung sits down, still drinking his water.

 

Wonwoo and Jihoon both sit across from him, and Jihoon opens his mouth again to speak, when Wonwoo cuts in. “So, because he was hurting, it was okay for you and Junnie to ice us out for months? Or is that different?”

 

Soonyoung looks over at Jihoon, who rolls his eyes at Wonwoo but nods in agreement.

 

“First of all, shut the fuck up, Wonwoo, you haven’t even tried talking toJunhui, where do you get off saying anything about anything when you’re part of the problem. And you-” he addresses Jihoon, ignoring Wonwoo altogether, and continues “That was about him trying to get closure through other means since you wouldn’t give him a straight answer. You know how when you like someone, they suddenly have power over you and the ability to hurt and heal and it’s no one’s fault, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a thing? He-  _ we  _ thought that distance would help, that’s why we dated in the first place. But clearly…” Soonyoung trails off shrugging.

 

Wonwoo’s eyebrows are furrowed, as if he’s just come to the realization that he and his roommate haven’t talked in weeks. As if he’s just realizing that he’s done nothing to repair their relationship, ready to drift apart from Junhui. Like hearing Soonyoung’s accusatory tone and confession somehow sparked something in him. Soonyoung watches as his face falls, forehead creasing in self contempt. 

 

Jihoon, on the other hand, looks contemplative, like he’s had this argument with himself, like he knows Soonyoung is right but is so painfully wrong at the same time.

 

“I get that I wasn’t fair to him,” he says quietly, nodding, “But, it’s such a burden. He’s so much and it’s great, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t want a relationship or a boyfriend and I don’t want to hurt him and it’s just so hard, I don’t want to do anything wrong. I don’t want to hurt him but I don’t want to be with him.”

 

“You should just tell him that.” Soonyoung isn’t sure if he’s the one who says it, but judging by the solemn look on Wonwoo’s face as he gazes at the marble countertop, it’s probably not him.

 

Jihoon rolls his eyes, turning to Wonwoo, and deadpans, “‘Hey Junnie, your crush on me is making my life really difficult, so if you could just… stop that. That’d be  _ great _ .’ Oh yeah, that’s completely ideal.”

 

“I get that it can be a burden,” Soonyoung starts out, “Jun can be a lot, but he means well. You know that.”

 

Jihoon nods, and they don’t talk after that, until Wonwoo awkwardly clears his throat and scratches the back of his head.

 

Cautiously, he asks, “So you two are good, right? Like friends and stuff. No more ‘does he hate me, does he hate me not’ bullshit?”

 

“Wow, Jeon  _ Fuck _ , we were totally ready to move on with our lives, you just need to iron out every detail don’t you.” Jihoon shoots back and Soonyoung snorts so hard, water comes out his nose. His eyes water and his nostrils burn, but it’s okay because they’re okay. 

 

And, maybe, for the first time in their self dramaticized semester, things are finally looking up. 

 

They hear a door creaking, and Junhui’s entire body is leaning against the doorframe. His eyes are red, like he’d been crying, and his voice is too loud, unpractice and unused as if he’s been quiet for a while now. 

 

“Sorry to cut this happy moment short, but it’s been a long night. I think we should all get some rest,” An eyebrow quirks in an almost intimidating manner, “Don’t you?” 

 

Maybe Soonyoung spoke too soon.

* * *

Wonwoo determines something that night, that Seungcheol’s ‘hangouts’ are really bad for him and his apartment mates. He sees how tired and tight Jihoon’s face looks when Junhui is in a room with him, and it sucks. He notices, for the first time, how Junhui’s eyes are puffy and how his words are  gravelly, how he speaks  so confidently but carries himself so pitifully. But to see how Soonyoung’s face falls, and stays sunken, when Junhui closes the door shut behind him, that’s what gets him the most. 

 

He prepares himself for bed, which really just means he takes off his shirt, washes his face, and uses the shirt to pat himself dry. Junhui would have scolded him for being unhygienic, once upon a time, but when he walks into their shared room, Junhui is asleep, facing the wall, curled into a ball, his comforters thrown precariously over his entire person. 

 

He fixes the blankets, and watches, frozen in place, when Junhui shifts slightly, responding to the newly distributed warmth over his body. 

 

“Good night, Junnie.”

 

It becomes a nightly ritual after that, with the first week just being Wonwoo’s way making up for his passive negligence of Junhui as a person, but it bleeds into the week after and the week after that, and pretty soon it becomes a nightly habit that neither of them ever mentions.

 

Before long, it becomes time for Wonwoo’s date with Jisoo and he’s really not as excited as Soonyoung, who is raiding his closet.

 

Frankly, he doesn’t even want to go on this date, but it makes Soonyoung happy and less harpy. 

 

Wonwoo groans, flopping face first on the bed, “Why did I let you talk me into this? These dates never work out anyway.”

 

“But it makes for great life experiences,” Soonyoung says matter-of-factly, pulling out an unwashed t-shirt and throwing it at the former, “Here, wear this. It gives you pecs.”

 

“I have pecs,” he mumbles, the shirt falling into his lap. 

 

“Not without that shirt, you don’t.” Soonyoung claps twice, “Put it on. You have a date.”

 

Wonwoo sighs, pulling off his shirt, “Every time I hang out with Shua hyung, I feel like he’s going to eat me. Just straight up, chomp chomp.” 

 

The door opens in time for Junhui to walk in, nodding at the two of them and resigning to his bed. He still won’t talk to either of them, content in avoiding the issue. He glances at Soonyoung, whose face is determined and he knows that it’s probably safer to go on his date tonight. 

 

Soonyoung clears his throat and mutters, “Don’t get too kinky, this is only the first date.” 

 

In retaliation, Wonwoo jabs his foot out, making solid impact with Soonyoung’s kneecap. They chuckle quietly together, because howling with laughter seems entirely too inappropriate. He pats Soonyoung’s knee, nods to an oblivious Junhui, and heads out, booping Soonyoung on the nose as he leaves the room, revelling in how he squawks. 

 

Jihoon’s outside, pulling out wines and reading them off. How they accumulated so many, no one knows, but it’s nice to have it on hand. 

 

“Have fun.” Jihoon calls out and Wonwoo makes an indistinguishable noise in response. 

 

Jisoo texted him the time and place about a week ago, and they’d been texting ever since, but in all honesty, texting him felt like texting Jihoon or even Mingyu. 

 

> [Soonyoung] good luck!![!!qnn1!1!1!
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] u 2
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] you’re such a shit texter
> 
> [Soonyoung] jsyk
> 
> [Soonyoung] you’ll never get a bf like that
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] i dated ur ass didnt i
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] touche
> 
> [Soonyoung] pronounced tooshie 
> 
> [Soonyoung] get it? its clever bc u said ass
> 
> [Soonyoung] im so funny
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] bye soonyoung
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] haVe Fun!!!1!1!!!!!!

 

He rolls his eyes, pocketing his phone. Soonyoung always makes him laugh. When Jisoo asked where they should eat, Wonwoo instantly responded with the deli right off campus, partially because it’s really close to their apartment and because it’s incredibly informal, the way he likes his dates. The way his dates with Soonyoung have always been. 

 

That’s the thought that forces him to a halt. And he remembers how easy it is to compare every date he’s had, person and event, to a time in his relationship with Soonyoung. How he prefers play fighting on the couch while missing every important of whatever movie is playing over movie dates where he spends the entire time trying to time his hand so it doesn’t make human contact in the popcorn tub. How he prefers Soonyoung to everyone and everything else. 

 

How he’s still so fucking in love with Soonyoung.

 

He really doesn’t want to go on this date.

* * *

Soonyoung waits until he hears the click of the front door, and counts to ten before turning to face Junhui, who is deliberately ignoring him. He takes determined steps and sits across from Junhui on the bed, trying not to feel too bad when Junhui backs further into the wall to avoid contact.

 

“It’s not what you thought it was, you know. They just… they have a really different relationship and it’s just something they do.”

 

He doesn’t know if those are the right words to say, whether they’ll draw Junhui out or push him even further away, but he doesn’t say anything while Junhui closes his laptop and stares at Soonyoung. It’s the first time in days that they’ve been together in a room for so long, and he hates how uncomfortable it is. 

 

“I’m not an idiot. I know that I don’t have any right over Jihoon or Wonwoo or you or your relationships or anything.” He speaks each word slowly, like it’s his first time admitting it out loud. “But I do have a right to feel what I feel, and to be upset and hurt and disappointed.”

 

Disappointment. Soonyoung has been creating a lot of that these days.

 

“Do you know what it feels like? To be an outsider when the three of you-” he gestures towards the room as a whole, “-just exist? It’s  _ hard _ . And I don’t… It’s fine, Jihoon doesn’t like me. Whatever, I can get over that. But I trust you guys to consider my feelings and not comment on my every action.” He groans and closes his eyes. Neither of them speak as the minutes pass, the audio blasting through Junhui’s headphones comes to an end. “You realize that I might very well be in  _ love _ with one of my closest friends and he doesn’t like me b- Just forget it. It doesn’t matter. I’ll get over it and we can go back to the way things were.”

 

“That’s not how it wor-”

 

“Clearly, I’m not entitled to have feelings so what’s the point in making a big deal about this?”

 

“Jun, you know that’s not what we were trying to do. We just wanted to talk out what we were feeling. We’re allowed to do that. We’re allowed to react to you and feel things and need to talk about them.”

 

“ You realize that it’s always going to be weird because Jihoon and I are so fucking awkward when it comes to confrontation, you’re the only one who’s good at that. You realize that I’ve spent so long internalizing this and being so conflicted and all I want is a fair shot at moving on, but I’m not even allowed that because I’m burdening the rest of you.

 

“The issue is that you told me to run from my feelings. You made this entire elaborate fucking plan to help me get over Jihoon and have autonomy over my life again, but then you sit and gossip about and make assumptions about what I’m going through. The issue _is_ that I am tired of of my feelings being a commodity for everyone to criticize. I’m so sorry that I chose to like such an impossible guy, with such little regard for how it would hurt everyone. I’ll do my very best not to do it again.” Junhui gestures towards the door, unwilling to discuss the matter any more, and slips on his earbuds. 

 

Soonyoung doesn’t know what to say, but he wants to yank the headphones out of Junhui’s ears and scream. Instead, he reluctantly walks out and plops down on the couch. Jihoon is waiting there, an extra glass of wine is set on the table. 

 

Soonyoung and Jihoon are really great in a lot of ways. There’s no feelings that could become more, there’s no boundaries that can’t be discussed, they understand each other and Soonyoung has missed it so much. 

 

“ _ Ugh _ .” He groans, picking up the glass, eyeing it suspiciously. 

 

Jihoon calmly clinks their glasses together in agreement, “Join the club.” 

 

“Pass me the bottle, Jihoonie, I’m getting drunk tonight.” He has work tomorrow and a ton of meetings that he needs to be alive and well for, but he sets his glass down, taking the bottle from Jihoon and drinks. 

 

Jihoon is still taking small sips and he looks over, a little tentative, a little reluctant. “Do you want to talk?”

 

“Do you want to hear about it?” He turns so he’s facing Jihoon, “Because, let’s not fuck around, Ji, you’re so uncomfortable with anything Junhui these days.” He takes a long swig, the bottom of the bottle entirely covering the other’s face.

 

Gently, Jihoon pushes down the bottle, and Soonyoung really sees the weary lines on his face. The apprehension that's being overpowered by a determination to be better. 

 

“Believe it or not, I  _ am  _ capable of dealing with confrontation. I’m not emotionally indisposed.”

 

“Look, it’s not his fault. He feels betrayed and I get it, I just wish he’d understand- I don’t know. I want him to get where we’re coming from, but he easily has the hardest part in all of this and I just don’t want him to ignore me anymore.” And it’s true. He respects why Junhui is upset, but he doesn’t like it. 

 

They watch the tv, it isn’t on so they’re really just watching each other through the reflection. 

 

“How terrifying would it be if something popped out,” Soonyoung grins when he gets pushed over.

 

Jihoon hisses, “Don’t say things like that. This is why I think you’ll be the first to die.”

 

“Rude.”

 

Soonyoung’s mind wanders over to Wonwoo and his date with Jisoo. When they first came up with the plan to set each other up, it was a joking way for them to move on, but, sometimes, Soonyoung sends Wonwoo away on dates with almost apprehension. 

 

> [Soonyoung] hows it going

 

Jihoon stares at Soonyoung, blankly, “Why’d you two break up?”

 

“Me and Jun? We just thought we’d be better off as friends. And you know we were creating a lot of destruction and that wasn’t our intention and also we dated really pretentiously and, like, fake.” It’s kind of liberating, to finally lay it all on the table, the way he wasn’t able to do with Wonwoo. 

 

“I meant, you and Won.” Jihoon looks at him, while snatching the bottle to pour himself another glass. 

 

“Won and I… I don’t really know when? But we just weren’t dating anymore. It was kind of just like two friends kissing and stuff. No sizzle anymore.” He shrugs, taking back his bottle when it's offered to him, “We’ve told you this, Ji.”

 

“Me kissing Wonwoo is just two friends kissing. But you and Wonwoo aren’t me and him. And you know that. So cut the bullshit and tell me what’s really up.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re really letting the sizzle thing go,” Soonyoung grins teasingly and Jihoon just smirks in response. “Okay, look. I was not into it anymore and Wonwoo seemed pretty indifferent as well. And it was time, probably. I’d rather that than stick with him only to eventually hate him.”

 

Soonyoung doesn’t mention that it was he who claimed that ‘ _ Our romance is dead, Won.’ _ or how it was a healthy breakup, and how neither of them was particularly upset, how  _ it doesn’t matter how I have you in my life, man, I’m just glad I do. _

 

And that was that. 

 

“So you got it all figured out, huh,” Jihoon says, and it sounds condescending, but maybe that’s just him imagining things.

 

“Won and I are in a good place. I really don’t need anything more than that.” He checks his phone, but his text remains unanswered and the familiar apprehension spreads inside of him. 

* * *

Wonwoo arrives at the deli and sees Jisoo already sitting there, waiting for him. He could walk out now, after what he’s realized but Jisoo deserves better. He prepares himself and walks in, nervous yet determined.

 

“Hyung, I’m sorry, but I’m in love with Soonyoung, there’s no way this will work.” He spits out and it's so loud that people around them turn to give Jisoo pitying glances. 

 

“Nice to see you too, Wonwoo. How about you sit down and relax a little.” Flushing, Wonwoo slips into the chair across from the elder and bites his lip. “Anyone with half a brain can see that you still like him. I let Soonyoung set this up so I could stage an intervention,” Jisoo grins teasingly, and, like clockwork, two chairs are pulled towards table. Both Seungcheol and Jeonghan share his grin and, suddenly, Wonwoo feels incredibly cornered.

 

“Are you surprised?” Jeonghan asks teasingly, “Please say yes, Cheol had us rehearse it for thirty minu- FUCK!” He clutches his shin, glaring at the man in question.

 

“So! How are you,” Seungcheol asks instead in true Seungcheol fashion, completely unsubtle and entirely too caring. 

 

“What the fuck?”

 

Jeonghan waggles a finger, “Watch your language, this is a family establishment.”

 

Wonwoo should be insulted, but he’s too busy being bewildered. 

 

“Just think of it like a buy one get two free deal.” Jisoo pats his hand, “Now, what’s going on with you and the others.”

 

His face doesn’t really change, still reeling from the randomness of how this night is going. But he splutters a little, before regaining control of his brain, “Uh, I’m in love? No wait, uh, I made out with one of my closest friends in front of my ex, who I love, and then he started dating our other friend who likes my close friend and now we’re a mess. Also, I’m in love.”

 

Jeonghan crinkles his nose and stage whispers, “I don’t like this Wonwoo, he’s too weir- OW!” He grabs the same shin, shooting a glare at Jisoo whose eyes are trained on the youngest.

 

“And how’s that going?” 

 

He’s saved from the waitress comes to take their order. Wonwoo’s stomach growls, and he smiles sheepishly, as Seungcheol hands his menu back to her. They list off what they’d like, and Wonwoo thinks he’s in the clear from answering.

 

“And how’s that going?” 

 

Damn it.

 

Seungcheol has his chin resting in his palm, “C’mon, we really have all night to do this.”

 

And Wonwoo spills, every last thing, all of his concerns and worries and observations, and how everything is tense and no one knows what to do to make it all better. It feels nice, being the young one, being able to rely on people to help him out, though he’d never seek it out on his own. To their credit, none of the other three try to offer any help, because they know that’s not what Wonwoo needs, but they make the appropriate oohs and ahhs and shoot well timed expressions as he vents. It’s liberating. 

 

The night ends with Seungcheol clapping Wonwoo on the back, congratulating him on finding loveas they all walk towards the apartments. Wonwoo snorts, but thanks him nonetheless. The elevator is still broken, so he makes the trek up the stairs and leans against the wall to his door, catching his breath, when it flies open.

 

“How was it?” Soonyoung asks, excited. “Isn’t Jisoo hyung exactly your type?”

 

Wonwoo hums, but doesn’t admit to anything. Because, yes, Jisoo is his type. But only Soonyoung is  _ exactly  _ his type. 

* * *

Wonwoo refuses to tell Soonyoung anything. It’s pretty annoying, especially considering how he’s come back from every date since the one with Jisoo, with a smile so bright and happy that it makes Soonyoung’s heart swoop in a way that he will not acknowledge. 

 

“Are you gonna see her again?” He prods, after Wonwoo’s date with Momo, one of Myungeun’s new friends that she’s been trying to set him up with for weeks. Soonyoung always thought she was really gay, his fuckdar pinning her with the short haired girl that Myungeun swore she’d sell her soul for, Jeongyeon. 

 

“She’s cool, but I don’t think Myungeun realizes how not into guys she actually is,” Wonwoo snorts. “It was fun though, getting back into the dating thing. Life experienced and all that,” he winks at Soonyoung. 

 

And so the cycle repeats.

 

Wonwoo goes on a date, comes back with a new friend, and refuses to give Soonyoung any kind of debrief on what went down.

 

He’s sitting in his office one day, thinking about it, when his stomach growls. He’s nursing a hangover from another night of binge drinking with Jihoon. Junhui isn’t that mad anymore but it’s really awkward and Soonyoung hates it. 

 

He wanders out into the conference room, hunting for snacks, when his phone buzzes.

 

> [Wonwoo] wya i have food
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] where are You
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] desk out fromt
> 
> [Wonwoo] ur at work right

 

Soonyoung rushes to the front desk, waving at the student workers, Seungkwan and Chan, who are on shift. 

 

“You’re my honest to god hero.” He clutches his heart, grabbing the bag from Wonwoo. “There’s a lot, though. Who’s the rest for?”

 

Wonwoo shrugs off his backpack, sitting at a table while Soonyoung pulls out the different containers of food. “Me. And Seungkwan and Channie, if they want some.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh thank god you offered.” 

 

Soonyoung cracks a smile as the two of them plop down at the table, flanking Wonwoo on either side, looking eagerly at the food.

 

Except, it only escalates with that. Like, with every date Wonwoo goes on, he becomes more in tune with Soonyoung’s wants and needs, like he becomes his knight in shining armor and it’s great. But Soonyoung finds his heart beating a little faster when Wonwoo looks at him, trying a little harder to make Wonwoo laugh for him, doing whatever it takes to be in close proximity with him, and he finds that it’s so easy to do.

 

And that worries him. Because he doesn’t want to fall for Wonwoo again. He doesn’t want to ruin a good thing.

 

“Oppa,” Yewon and Seungyeon slide into his office, and he’s so startled that he spills coffee all over his pants. 

 

“Fu- Hi, yes, come in. Excuse everything.” He sputters and they look concerned but amused. 

 

He sits through the meeting with paper towels wadded up on his knee. It’s fairly standard, they needed approval on some payment things and to run over the logistics of their event.

 

As they leave, Yewon shoots him a look, “Do your laundry when you get home or it’ll stain.”

 

He’s totally going to do that the minute he gets home.

 

Totally. 

 

> [Soonyoung] sos i need pants
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] why
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] what did u do
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] i spilled coffee on my pants bc i was havign a revelation
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] lameass
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] dumbass
> 
> [Wonwoo] yea i got u

 

When Jihoon and Wonwoo pull up into the parking lot where Soonyoung works and he pulls his pants down right there in his office for them to see, Wonwoo clears his throat but doesn’t stop staring.

 

Jihoon smirks.

 

> [Jihoon] sizzle sizzle

* * *

Wonwoo is meant to go on another date later in the week, this time with Sojung, from the legal services department. The first thing he did was warn her that, one, he isn’t really interested in dating, and two, not to mention any details to Soonyoung himself, as he does on every date.  It’s fun messing with him, seeing him get all huffy and annoyed when Wonwoo won’t give him even the tiniest bit of information. 

 

He’s getting lunch at the food court, for the first time in a while, and looking at the food options is getting kind of nauseating. Eventually, he stands in line with his sub, and waits impatiently while the person in front of him continues to decide what they want to eat. 

>  
> 
> [Jihoon] I worked it out w junh
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] how r u

 

> [Jihoon] fine 
> 
> [Jihoon] it was necessary i think
> 
> [Jihoon] you should talk to him he said that if he needs to feel your heavy breathing over his face one more time he’s going to punch you in the throat 
> 
> [Jihoon] what the fuck are you doing in that room
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] dw abt it

 

He pockets his phone to find a booth to sit at, because the general rule of thumb is: where there is a booth there is an outlet. He finds one next to the trash cans, and slips into it, pushing the garbage bins away from him and his food. He gets a flurry of texts on his phone from Jisoo, asking him for life updates, and Jeonghan following each up with  _ did you ;).  _ They had forced him to join a group chat with them and it’s been the actual bane of his existence. Since this is their last semester, none of the older guys care anymore about class or conduct, only having final presentations and papers to worry about, and they’ve been spamming Wonwoo constantly. He enjoys the attention, though, they’re good company. 

 

Wonwoo looks up from his phone and is startled to see Junhui calmly sitting in front of him, eating a slice of pizza and scrolling through his phone.

 

“Hi?” 

 

“Hey.” His eyebrows furrow as Junhui goes back to browsing on his phone. 

 

“Um? We’re okay now?” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Are you going to punch me in the throat?”

 

Junhui laughs sheepishly, “He told you about that? It was cute. Thank you for caring.”

 

“You know that I do. And I’m sorry for all the shit I said. I was just so mad because-”

 

“-you’re really in love with Soonyoung and seeing us together pissed you off? Oh yeah, I’m aware.” Junhui flashes him the cheekiest grin and Wonwoo’s eyes narrow.

 

He closes his laptop and leans towards Junhui over the table, “Who’ve you been talking to?”

 

“I have eyes, Won. You’re not exactly subtle. You practically salivate when he wears those slacks.”

 

He makes a helpless sound, “Have you seen his thighs in them, they’re so great.”

 

“That’s what I thought too, when I told him to buy them.”

 

Wonwoo kicks Junhui lightly and shoots him a look, “You’re doing god’s work, Wen Junhui. God’s work.” 

 

They make more small talk, joking about nothing and everything and it makes him realize how much he’s missed Junhui. The latter smiles up at someone and then someone is tugging Wonwoo’s hair, making him yelp.

 

“So you’re all made up,” Jihoon grins, nudging Junhui with his hip to sit with them, “Congratulations.”

 

Wonwoo wants to say something but Junhui’s sly grin makes his eyes go wide. He reaches over to hold Junhui’s lips shut, but he’s too late.

 

“Ji, do you know that Wonwoo is in  _ loooooove _ with Soonyoung,” he sings, eyes never leaving Wonwoo, who flushes red.

 

Jihoon grins, “So you’re finally admitting it to other people. This is character development. Good job, Won.”

 

Wonwoo responds by slinking in his seat and opening his laptop.

 

How disrespectful.

* * *

Soonyoung comes to the realization that he’s in love with Wonwoo on a Thursday, when Wonwoo comes home  _ excited _ to go on another date and, suddenly, setting him up isn’t fun anymore. Jihoon’s at home, because it’s spring break but Wonwoo, Junhui, and he live too far away to justify going home for a week. 

 

But that’s not what gets him to this realization, so much as the fact that he accidentally thinks about how Wonwoo could really find someone, and how he really only wants Wonwoo to stay with him.

 

And now he’s fucked because he can’t talk to Wonwoo about it, obviously. Jihoon is in direct cahoots with him, Myungeun and Yerin both can’t keep a secret to save their lives, and Junhui and he are still rocky. They’ve been having meals together, and they jokingly fight about who has to pay, and it’s fine but it isn’t enough. 

 

Soonyoung flops onto the sofa, face buried into the cushions and he doesn’t know how long he’s there, but he feels the seat dip down next to his head and hands card through his hair. It’s Junhui, because only Junhui is so touchy and so reassuring and so obsessed with how soft Soonyoung’s hair is. 

 

They remain like that, not really talking but then Soonyoung sits up and, before he can stop himself, blurts out, “I think I love Wonwoo.”

 

Junhui rolls his eyes, “Yeah, no shit.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Something is gnawing at Soonyoung but he doesn’t know what it is. So he ignores it, because things are okay.

 

“So, you’re finally ready to admit you’re in love with Won?” 

 

“Shut up, it was an epiphany.” He gets up to bust out the wine, bringing back two glasses and filling them up, “Anyway, what’s up with you?”

 

“Ji, Won, and I made up. So everyone’s friends again.”

 

Soonyoung grins, “Well, I’ll drink to that.”

 

True to Junhui’s words, the four of them start up again as if they’re picking up right where they left off. And Soonyoung knows this the same way any millennial measures friendship, through the group chat. 

 

> [Junhui] ji got his finger stuck in the lube bottle
> 
>  
> 
> [Wonwoo] why do u know this
> 
>  
> 
> [Junhui]  _ image sent _
> 
> [Junhui] lmao fucking moron
> 
>  
> 
> [Jihoon] IRS NOT LUNE ITS AN EMOTH VIAL
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] emoth
> 
> [Soonyoung] wait a sec
> 
> [Soonyoung] jihoon are u drinking OUR wine without me
> 
>  
> 
> [Junhui] he says “you drank it with junhui without me so I’m gonna drink it with him without you”
> 
>  
> 
> [Soonyoung] this isnso disrespectful
> 
>  
> 
> [Myungeun] kindly shut up im in class

 

The semester is winding down, which means the four of them are required to attend banquets and events and look fucking dapper. They do, but it always ends with one of them stumbling through the door and needing to be undressed because they all have scheduled 9AM work shifts on Fridays. 

 

He walks over to Junhui’s department building, and it’s a lot nicer than his. Right when he walks in, he sees Myungho and Kyulkyung, another girl from the hangouts,, studying in the main room. They have a main room, he has a cubicle, and his student workers share a cubicle and they have a conference room. But this is spacious and colorful and fun and he likes it way better. 

 

He finds his way to Junhui’s office and, right when he walks in, he sees the only picture they’ve taken of the four of them, when they all finished moving in and wanted to commemorate the end of their suffering. It’s cute, especially because he thought one of them lost the polaroid. 

 

“Ji should be here soon, he’s grabbing Myungeun and Wonwoo’s meeting us there,” Junhui utters, not looking up from his desktop computer but kicking in the general area of a small lounge chair. 

 

“Hey,Junnie, can we talk?” 

 

Soonyoung’s been bothered for a while by something, he just doesn’t know what. But looking at that picture, he feels responsible for everything that went wrong, and he dragged everyone down because of it, most of all Junhui. 

 

“Mhm, what’s up, Soon?” the keyboard stops clacking, and he knows that Junhui is looking at him.

 

“I know we’re fine and stuff, but I really do want to apologize. It wasn’t fair for me to manipulate you because I was jealous or bitter or whatever. At the time, I didn’t even realize that I still had feelings for Wonwoo and then it was easier to project, instead of admitting to anything, and you didn’t deserve that.” Soonyoung closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. This feels so incredibly highschool of him. 

 

“You act as if I didn’t go along with it, even when I was sober. I’m not so involved in my feelings that I lose all rational . I chose to not care, because I was in the same position as you.” He ruffles Soonyoung’s hair, “Don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? We’re fine.” 

 

“If it makes up for anything, you’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had” Soonyoung offers sheepishly, feeling so much better. Junhui always knows what to say. “Don’t tell anyone though.” He sticks out his pinky, wiggling it teasingly.

 

Junhui easily hooks their pinkies together.

* * *

There’s maybe a few more weeks left of school, and Junhui and Jihoon are fed up with Soonyoung and Wonwoo beating around the bush. They bicker constantly, while feeding each other or cuddling or gaming together or walking to class together and it’s so frustrating because Junhui and Jihoon just want to squish their faces together and make them kiss already. 

 

They were both out, after having a joint venting session with Myungeun, where they ranted about how fucking annoying these two are. When they unlock the door and cross towards the kitchen, they stop, because Wonwoo and Soonyoung are so close together, and they’re just hissing at each other. Jihoon slaps Junhui and motions for him to move quietly, so they can see what’s happening.

 

Their conversation is quiet, but Jihoon can make out the words pretty well. His eyes shift to Junhui, who has all but crawled to the other side of the room, still tucked out of sight like himself, eyes wide and entranced by the scene playing out in front of them.

 

“It bothers me because you’re not telling me anything. I’m just trying to help you out, but you don’t talk to me about it anymore.” Soonyoung says, jumping onto the counter and crossing his arms. Wonwoo leans against the island, his back to Jihoon and Junhui’s general areas, but his low voice is clear regardless.

 

“Why does it bother you if I want to keep things to myself? These dates aren’t working out. The one with Sojung noona didn’t work out. It’s no big deal.”

 

Soonyoung rolls his eyes, eyebrows raising unamusedly. “Then why are you so happy after each one? Are you dating someone? If you’re dating someone and you’ve been holding out on me, I swear-”

 

“You know that’s not true,” Wonwoo shifts so that he’s edging closer and Jihoon and Junhui exchange a look that can only be described as  _ finally _ . “They’re just not what I’m looking for in a significant other.”

 

It’s in that moment, they all realize what’s about to happen. Soonyoung’s eyes widen for a  second, because he’s totally thrown off, and then he regains his composure, smirking down at Wonwoo. “And what  _ are _ you looking for in a significant other?” 

 

Junhui’s line of vision is slightly obstructed, so he leans almost fully into the kitchen to be able to see what’s happening. It’s almost comical the kind of situation they’re in, except that they’re all so frustrated and desperate for this very moment, that every action is justified. 

 

“Cute. Nice thighs. Kwon Soonyoung. Bad ideas. Good manners. Shitty Temper. Kwon Soonyoung. Has a nice work ethic. Weak for children. Kwon Soonyoung. Good at dancing. Fluffy hair.” Wonwoo approaches Soonyoung with each point, and they’re both grinning at each other, “Do you know a guy like that?”

 

If it wasn’t so long overdue, Jihoon would have thrown up from the sheer cheesiness of it all. 

 

“Yeah,” Soonyoung grins, pulling Wonwoo into him, “I think I could find someone like that.”

 

And finally,  _ finally _ they kiss, like it’s second nature. Like they never stopped knowing what the other liked, wanted, and needed. It’s chaste, though, because they both burst out laughing. 

 

“Your breath  _ stinks _ , Won.”

 

“Oh yeah, because yours is so much better.” 

 

“By the way,” Soonyoung says, his arms still looped around Wonwoo’s neck, “I told Junhui he was the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.” 

 

“Oh?”

 

“I might have to take that back, though.” 

 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” They stand close enough, lips close enough that they could kiss again. 

 

“He has the best ass though.” 

 

“Yeah, that’s fair.” Wonwoo grins leaning in for another kiss when Jihoon decides he’s had enough.

 

He leans against the wall and pulls out his phone. 

 

> [Jihoon] fucking finally
> 
>  
> 
> [Junhui]  _ image sent _
> 
> [Junhui]  _ image sent _
> 
> [Junhui] its about fucking time 

 

They hear the text notifications ding on both Soonyoung and Wonwoo’s phones, and then Soonyoung lets out a mortified yelp and Wonwoo cackles loudly. 

 

“Shut the fuck up!”

 

> [Jihoon] sizzle sizzle bitch

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> very special thanks to amal (ofjisoos), juju (fruitcakes), and annie (DreamsOfAnotherReality) for the encouragement and beta reading this and making sure my grammar wasn't total shit even tho this fic kinda is. anywho i hope you like it i hope gramps also likes this thank u for reading!


End file.
